


Schizm

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: F/M, Multiple Personalities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-11
Updated: 2010-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-10 12:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don't like it when she does that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Schizm

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "multiple personalities: always there" box on my [hc_bingo](http://community.livejournal.com/hc_bingo/) card.

Delia shivered, and looked over at Az. "I don't like it when she does that."

Az nodded mournfully. "At least we're not in trouble anymore."

_Silence._

"You know she hears us. she knows about us," Feather said, voice tart and spiky. It was always like that. The children bothered it too much.

"But he was such a nice old man," Delia whimpered in a soft voice. "Why did she have to steal his breath? The Mystic Man wouldn't have hurt us."

"You don't remember," Feather said. "But I do. I was always here. You came after. You were split off of Azkadellia with all the punishments..."

"You lie!" Delia cried, trembling. She was young and Feather was old. Feather was jealous. Delia was nine, and she thought the world was a wonderful place. Everything was new when she was in control, which wasn't all that often.

Az kept silent. She was punished a lot. She suffered all the tense silences and ill will, all the judgments and anguish of knowing her beloved mother disapproved fo ehr. Az was the one that had gotten into trouble for DG's mishaps, for not being able to keep her out of trouble or protect her enough. Az hadn't been strong enough to get rid of the witch. Even Feather hadn't been, and it was nothing but magic.

The Sorceress was strong, though. She was in control most of the time, and she knew about the others. She let them talk; the one time she tried to keep them isolated and separated, Azkadellia had woken up. Azkadellia slept most of the time. she was the First One, but had been unable to withstand the pressure of being Crown Princess and submit to Tutor's whims. Her parents were absent figures. "Trust in Tutor," the Queen had said. "He knows what's best for you."

No, he hadn't.

It had started as something of a dream. Little Delia, innocent and free. Az took the punishment while Delia got to play. The magic rose, fast and fierce but light as the feathers that were levitated. Feather suffered no fools, but it knew that it was best to let Azkadellia sleep. She didn't know what was going on, didn't know about the others. But she had felt their pain when the Sorceress shut them up in boxes, and there was power in being the First One. Shaken, the Sorceress had let her sleep. She dealt with Az, mostly. Delia and Feather were left alone.

"Come here, child," Feather said to Delia. "You know why the Sorceress is here. She protects us. She keeps us safe." Feather stroked Delia's dark hair soothingly. "That way, you can play and I can continue to do magic. If the Sorceress doesn't protect us, it all ends. We have to help her."

"Azkadellia didn't like her," Delia whined.

"She didn't like us being shut away," Feather corrected.

"She scares me," Delia admitted. "And I don't like it when she takes other souls in."

"They don't become one of us."

"How do you know that?" Delia asked, tremulous.

"We would have met them," Feather said in a reasonable tone. "We haven't met anyone yet, so we're not likely to."

"Az doesn't like men," Delia replied with the surety of a young child. "She finds them scary. But everyone's scary to Az."

"That is very true," Feather answered solemnly. "We all have our place here."

"You really think it'll be just us? No one else to join us? I like how it is."

Feather smiled at the child affectionately. "It will be just us. The Sorceress keeps things stable. There doesn't need to be more of us. What would we do with more children? More magic users?" Feather shook its head emphatically. "No. It is good as it is. We are complete as we are, Delia. No need to worry. Rest now."

Delia went off to sleep, leaving Feather alone. It didn't need to sleep; magic never slept, never tired, never grew weary in need of rest.

The Sorceress killing the Mystic Man was not a good sign. Infused with the vapors, the old man would never make a move against the crown. This girl that the Sorceress was hunting had to be the same DG that she had tried to kill fifteen annuals ago. Delia had been asleep for that; Feather had made sure of it. Az had wept for days.

If DG was back, the Sorceress had to be a target. She must want revenge. If the Sorceress died, there would be no one strong enough to hold them all together. Feather kept watch, and Feather monitored who was waking and sleeping. It knew that the children weren't capable of full control, and it had no interest in rule. Keeping the Sorceress alive was in all their best interest. As much as it would hurt Az, DG had to be stopped. Feather would make sure of it.

End.


End file.
